Transcendence
by Circus4APsycho8
Summary: Chara never committed suicide. Chara's also male. Enter you. You meet the gang, meet new friends, all the cliche crap. But things just have to get worse before they get better. Monsters start disappearing. Sans, being the judgey guy he is, points fingers at Chara...but this time around, it isn't Chara. Male!Chara X Reader. Violence, Rape/Non-Con (reader isn't raped), Cussing.
1. Once Upon A Time

**Hi!**

 **So, first of all, this is a Male! Chara X Reader. I want to clear that up.**

 **Second: The Soul OCs won't be featured as much in later chapters. I just needed to get the exposition crap out of the way.**

 **Third of all: this story will contain: Rape/Non-Con (READER IS NOT RAPED!), Cussing, Underage, Graphic Depictions of Violence**

 **Anyway, please enjoy!**

 _Once upon a time..._

…

Thank the stars there's a forest coming up. You dash through a path not taken.

His footsteps are growing louder, but you don't let that deter you. There's no way you'd win an encounter from him. Shit, why did it have to be him of all people?! Your breathing becomes faster as you keep running, adrenaline soaring throughout you.

"Jesus, just quit already!" You hear him yell.

But you refuse.

Deeper in the woods you go, then. Your legs are starting to feel like jelly, your lungs burning for air.

If you slow down, you're probably as good as dead.

But...when will he stop chasing you?

 _Don't give into that loser! Keep going!_

 _Stay determined!_

 _You're almost there!_

You have little time or energy to focus on where the voices come from. Almost where, though?

 _Somewhere safe._

 _New Home._

 _We're rooting for you, (Y/N)!_

You continue running, heart pumping even faster. You think he's starting to lose track of you, but you're not postive, so you keep running. Stars, where are you, even? No one ever told you where these woods would lead one to if they continued through it. Well, you guess you're going to find out. It's better lost than dead at this point.

After around ten minutes of your pace gradually slowing down, you start walking again. All around you are large, green trees. It's completely silent; you can't hear anything artificial. As you walk, you place your hands atop your head to help get your breathing back in order.

You keep walking, hoping you'll find a way out sooner rather than later. Where the hell are you?! How far could you possibly be from your town?

As you continue forward, a pit full of foreboding gathers in your stomach. Shivers run down your spine as you continue through the woods. After much wandering, you come across a large hole, stopping and peering over the edge.

You see the bottom, but it looks like you'd definitely get hurt if you fell.

 _Jump._

 _Take the leap._

 _Don't be scared!_

 _You won't regret it!_

 _Fall._

 _Nine._

 _We want to meet you!_

You frown at the voices.

"Who are you?" you ask.

 _Jump, and you'll see._

That is the last thing you hear from the seven voices as you take a few precautionary steps backwards.

You're not really going to fall, are you?

Your thoughts are interrupted when you hear leaves rustle and twigs snap in the distance. You twirl around to see what the noise is, but you don't see anything.

Instead of calling out to see if anyone is there like those stupid girls in horror movies, you take one step back.

Something catches your heel, causing you to trip and fall backwards.

You topple over the edge, the light of the opening growing smaller and smaller with every foot you fall. You feel like your adrenaline should be pumping throughout your body, heart racing with anticipation rather than fear. Somewhere deep in your gut, you knew that...you'd be safe here. Someone was waiting for you without knowing it.

…

"Oh my! You've fallen, haven't you? Ah, well, don't be scared! We'll help you!"  
…

Soft.

Warm.

Safe.

Cracking your eyes open, fighting against the urge to just...fall asleep again. A sharp pain disturbs your thoughts as you combat sleepiness and sit up, rubbing your head. You feel a bit sore all over, but your legs are tingling with pins and needles. You grunt, tossing the heavy blanket aside, then swinging your legs over the edge of the bed. You sit up slowly, then pause for a second to get through the sudden wave of dizziness that washes over you. When it passes, you let out a soft sigh, looking around. You're in some kind of kid's room.

You're sitting on a twin-sized bed that's been pushed up against a wall. A nightstand resides next to it, a lamp sitting atop it. Next to it is a dresser, decorated with a noteworthy collection of glass bottles, little odds and ends, like small, rusted pocket watches, keychains, and coins. Across from you is an old, wooden desk, sporting cracked picture frames with pictures of...somewhat familiar kids. Okay, then. You try to stand, holding onto the bed post for support.

After you regain your balance, you start walking to the splintered door, looking for a knob, but not finding one. You gently push it open, and it swings open with a creak.

Now, you're standing in a long hallway. The wall across from you are covered in holes, some small, others big enough for you to walk through. To your left is another door, and to your right is a staircase, which winds down into a lower level. You turn right, but pause when you hear voices.

"What was that?" one asks.

"Ooh! I think she's awake! Let's check!"

"Wait one second. I'll look." There are a few more murmurs, but they pause when you

Past the staircase is another room, which you think is supposed to be the living room. A head pokes out from another corner inside there.

"Hi there!" he greets. You back up a little unintentionally. His eyes widen, then he begins walking forward. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you. What's your name? I'm Chara, first fallen human."

You bite your lip. "I'm (Y/N)."

He smiles. "Hello, (Y/N)." A few other heads poke out from where Chara just was. They all smile at you.

"You're the ninth fallen human," Chara continues, walking forward. The others follow his lead. "I know you're confused. I was, too."

"Am I...are we...in...the Underground?" you ask, folding your arms against your chest.

"Yep! The stories about the monsters are true. Except, they aren't nearly as mean as the stories depict them to be." Chara responds. "Hey, come have a seat with us. We'll tell you everything!"

You start walking forward, your bare feet slapped across the wooden floor. The other kids come out, all in striped sweaters of varying colors. One kid, however, is...not human.

His fur is a blinding white, eyes a spearmint green. His sweater is lime green with a bright, yellow stripe crossing it. It's identical to the one Chara is wearing. A goat child...?

"I'm Asriel. Uh...I won't hurt you. I get that the monster's appearances take some getting used to." He smiles shyly.

"Whoa!" you say, analyzing his dark eyes. "Wow...your eyes are...dang. Sorry. I've never seen a shade of green that deep in human's eyes. Nice to meet you, too, Asriel."

"Oh, uh...thanks! I guess I got it from my dad, heh. It's nice to meet you too, (Y/N)," he replies, his shoulders relaxing in relief.

You glance the other six or so human kids scattered around the room. They all catch your confused glance.

"Introduce yourselves," Chara instructs.

"I'm Genisis, second fallen human, Justice Soul," a girl that looks a little younger than you says. She has dark, brown, wavy hair says. Her sweater is a bright yellow with an orange stripe.

"I'm Nora, fourth fallen human, Perseverance Soul," another girl with jet-black hair that goes down to her shoulders says. Her sweater is a royal purple with a dark blue stripe running across it.

"I'm Oliver, the fifth fallen human, Kindness Soul." a redheaded boy says. He's wearing a dark, green sweater with a light blue stripe running across it.

"I'm Xander, the sixth fallen human, Bravery Soul," a young, black-headed boy says. His sweater is a light orange with a light green stripe.

"I'm Frisk, the eighth fallen human, Determination," informs a brown-headed girl wearing a red sweater with a dark, blue stripe.

"Shaun, uh...I think I'm the third fallen? Anyway, I'm the Patience Soul," replies a blonde boy with a light, blue sweater with a red stripe.

"I'm Asher, seventh fallen. Integrity is my main trait," answers a boy with dirty blonde hair wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with a yellow stripe.

"(Y/N). Nice to meet you all," you respond.

"How does your head feel?" Frisk asks.

"Um...a little sore, that's all," you answer, awkwardly folding your hands together. You examine your outfit; you're still wearing the same one you wore when you fell. It's tattered and ripped in places.

"May I examine your head?" Oliver asks, standing up.

"It's likely she has a concussion," Nora agrees, following Oliver.

"Uh..." you're not sure how to respond.

"In a minute, Olly. Here, how about we wait for your head to heal before we explain further? It's a lot to digest, and a concussion won't help," Frisk replies.

"Want us to go get mom?" Nora asks as two of the other humans rise.

"Yeah. Tell her what happened, then bring her back. Olly, stay here. We could use your magic. Me, Frisk, Olly, and Genisis will stay here," Chara says. The four of them nod, then shuffle out of the front door, which has rotted and decayed in places.

"Come on, you should rest," Frisk says, smiling at you and gesturing for you to follow her. You walk behind her, following her to the room you woke up in.

You take a seat on the bed, rubbing your forehead. Frisk pulls up a chair beside you, and the other two enter the room as well. Oliver kneels in front of you, a small flashlight in his hands. He proceeds to shine the flashlight in your eyes.

"Yes, she has a concussion. I'm not sure how bad, but I think I can heal it," he says.

"You can heal it? But don't you just...I dunno, sleep it off? Not think hard?" you question.

"That's human treatment. Down here, monsters have something much more effective. Magic," he says, placing his hands on the sides of your face and closing his eyes.

"Magic? It's real?" you ask as wisps of green start to plague your vision.

"Mmm-hmm. How're you feeling?" Oliver asks.

"Sleepy," you answer, stifling a yawn.

"That means it's working," Oliver points out.

You grow quiet as the magic does its job. Slowly, the information begins to settle.

You're in the Underground.

Monsters exist.

Magic is a thing now, too.

You're, most likely, trapped here.

What about your family on the surface? Your old family? Your life? You're too sleepy to address these issues. They can wait until tomorrow.

Voices come and go as your eyes start closing. Is someone holding you? No, you're lying down now.

Once your eyes close completely, you let out a soft sigh before sleep has you firmly in its hold.

…

Splotches of white and green invade your vision when you wake up for the second time. You groan, once again tossing the considerably thinner blanket to the side.

"Ah, child, you are awake." You gasp at the new voice, suddenly growing discombobulated and flailing, then falling on the floor. You roll over onto your back. Well, at least you aren't sore anymore.

"Goodness, child, are you okay?" comes the same voice.

"Yeah, I'm good," you respond, using your elbows to lift yourself up. When you finally manage to get your neck straight and your head is up, you look up to see...a very tall...goat woman with deep, purple eyes. She sticks her paw out to you, and you take it, righting yourself as she pulled you up.

She smiles at you. You grin back.

"My children have told me about you, (Y/N). I am Toriel, Queen of the Underground. It is very nice to meet you," she says, stepping back to give you a little bit of space.

"It's nice to meet you, too," you respond after you're steady again.

"Would you like a slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie? I just finished it before I came to check on you," she offers.

You're too frazzled to deny her. "Uh...please..."

She smiles again. "Alright, I'll be right back. Please, make yourself at home!" The goat woman walks away, leaving you alone.

You're no longer in the other place; now, you're inside a much fancier room. The bed you were laying on is huge, probably a queen size. It, the nightstand beside it, and the footlocker in front of it probably took up a fourth of the room. You walk over to the window of the room, pushing aside the red curtain.

From here, you can see many cities, and the rocky ceiling of the Underground. Where are you right now? It doesn't look even close to the place you were just at. You let go of the curtain, letting it return to its original position. Pivoting on your heel, you look around some more. On the opposite side of the wall is a clean, wooden desk, and beside it is a trash can. Bookshelves cover part of the walls, sporting many types of books, from Edgar Allen Poe to manga. The walls are painted a gentle shade of red. There's a dresser next to the desk, and it has many photo frames on top.

"Here you are, Miss (Y/N). A slice of homemade butterscotch-cinnamon pie just for you!" You turn around to see Toriel walk in with a plate of pie. Behind her are more monsters.

These monsters look more like...anthropomorphic dogs. They are holding bags of something you can't quite make out from here.

After Toriel sets the pie down on the desk, she turns to the dogs and says, "Please set those over there," she turns back to you, "we managed to find more fitting clothes for you. After you change, please feel free to explore the Castle and meet everyone."

You nod, then respond, "Thank you, Queen Toriel. Also...could I ask you some things?"

"Oh, don't bother with formalities right now. Just call me Toriel. Please, ask away, dear."

Hm, where to start...? "I understand that I'm in the Underground, but...what happened after I fell asleep?"

"One of my sons healed your concussion, then my husband and I were notified that another human had fallen. One of my good friends helped get you here, and we tried our best to heal your remaining injuries," she clarifies.

You nod. Hopefully you'll get to meet these people soon. "Alright. Where...is this place?"

"We're towards the end of the Underground now. The Barrier is not too far away from here, but the place that you fell at? It is quite a while away. The Underground is divided into sections. My children would be more than happy to give you a tour," she says.

You nod, then thank her. She smiles and reminds you to eat your pie, shower, and get dressed before she heads out, the dog guards following suit. You sigh, collapsing back on the big, fluffy bed.

Well, today's been one hell of a day. Monsters are real, so is magic, apparently...you sigh, rubbing your face and running your fingers through your tangled hair. Someone changed your outfit, much to your dismay. Now, you're wearing a long, purple nightgown with the white symbol printed on the chest. You wonder what it could mean.

With another grunt, you stand up again, walking to the door that you think leads to the bathroom. Sure enough, when you push it open, you find yourself standing inside a huge bathroom.

...Maybe staying Underground won't be so bad after all.

Shrugging yourself out of the nightgown, you toss it aside and set the clean clothes on your bed. After that, you hop in the shower, picking all of the dirt and grimy stuff out of your hair. Then, you nearly scrub your skin raw, avoiding the areas that are a little sorer. When you get out, you wrap a towel around yourself, then wash your face in the sink.

You sigh when you're out, the feeling of cleanliness relaxing you. Sighing in content, you dry off and change into the clothes Toriel has gathered for you: a white t-shirt with faded, blue jeans. Eh, it's better than nothing for now. You realize you don't have any of your belongings with you, which makes you sigh. Hah, no money, no phone, no family...

You shake your head. You'll find a way. You always do. Then, after hesitantly tasting the butterscotch-cinnamon pie, you gobble it down. It's the perfect mixture and contrast of flavors.

After checking yourself in the mirror and fixing your hair to the way you want it, you walk out.

The hallways are long, stretching into corridors that lead stars know where. You decide to go left.

There are pictures of monsters you haven't seen yet all over the walls. Many of the pictures are labelled with names, places, dates, times...you gaze at every one. A turtle named Gerson wielding a huge war axe. A bunny warrior who remained nameless. A woman named Consolas gripping a sword. These monsters must have been fierce warriors. As you creep along the carpeted floor, you notice that some of these pictures aren't just monsters. They're humans, too, which confuses you. When you were little, your parents told you the stories about the monster-human war. Didn't the two species hate each other?

Well...when you think about it, it would make sense if not all humans wanted the monsters to go Underground. Maybe this particular one was a rebel of some sort? The name isn't legible, so you gaze at the man in the drawing. It looks pretty old. You wonder if there's a date on the back.

Moving on, you see that there aren't any more pictures or paintings, much to your disappointment. Instead, there's a right turn, which you follow. You haven't really seen anyone on this floor yet, which you think is a bit odd. Oh well, you have to find your way out eventually, right?

Sticking to that thought, you keep exploring the twisting and winding hallways. You pass more paintings, studying each one. After aimlessly wandering throughout the Castle, you come across a room, which you see Queen Toriel, another goat person, this one taller than Toriel, and all of the human children. Frisk spots you first.

"Hey, (Y/N)!" she yells, waving you over. Shyly, you wave back. Toriel and Asgore turn to you, too.

"I apologize, (Y/N). I forgot to give you directions on your way down," Toriel starts.

"Don't worry about it. I'm here now," you respond with a small smile.

"Sweet! You're just in time for dinner, too!" Xander yells, a big, goofy smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, Miss (Y/N). Welcome to the Underground!" says the taller goat person. "I'm Asgore, King of the Underground!"

"Nice to meet you, King Asgore!" you respond.

"Just Asgore is fine, dear. Please, join us for dinner. I feel like we've a lot to discuss."

…

Soon enough, you're seated with the Dreemurrs for dinner. Toriel has prepared much food, and it's scattered among the table you're all seated at. Casual chatter fills the atmosphere while you sit quietly at your chair, picking and nibbling on your food.

"(Y/N)!" someone says. You turn to meet the voice.

It's Frisk, but Chara, Xander, and Genisis are all gazing at you expectantly as well.

"Yeah?" you respond.

"Are you going to stay here?" Xander asks.

You manage to prevent yourself from freezing up. Stay? After all this family has done for you?

"I don't..." you're interrupted by a booming voice.

"You are more than welcome to live with us, child," Asgore says from across the table.

"Oh...um...I don't know. You guys have been so nice to me already," you respond.

"It's no trouble. Although, we cannot force you to stay here. If you do not wish to stay with us, I will see to it that you're given a satisfactory home," Asgore states.

"You really don't have to," you respond, guilt creeping up your spine. Ugh, why are they so nice?!

"We will not leave out on the streets, dear. You do not have to answer now. Maybe after you're given a tour, it'll make your decision easier,"

You wonder about the Barrier. Can't humans pass through it? If so, then would have any of the other kids left by now? You're a little homesick, but something tells you that it won't be a smooth ride trying to get home. You probably shouldn't ask about it around the monsters, though.

"That sounds great," you eventually say.

"Then it is settled. Tomorrow, you will get a tour of the Underground," Toriel says, "and, after dinner, we'll have someone show you around the Castle while everyone else gets ready for bed,"

"Aww, mom! Can't we get to know the new human more?!" Shaun complains.

"You can tomorrow," she replies.

The rest of dinner is filled with sibling banter, good food, and more pie. You managed to finish your food, but you don't get too involved in the chitchat unless someone asks you a question. Toriel serves more pie after everyone's plates have been cleared. She even gives you a puff of whipped cream on the top of your slice, which makes you a little happier inside.

You finish your second slice of pie, then you place it in the sink before Toriel can notice.

As soon as the last of the younger kids have finished, Toriel and Asgore begin to direct them to bed, instructing Frisk and Chara to give you a tour of the Castle.

First up is the living room. It's huge, with far too many couches, even for a family this big. There are assorted toys and books lying in neatly packed buckets.

"Remember," Chara starts, "if you want to play with the toys, you have to clean up afterwards."

"I'll keep that in mind," you joke, a small smile on your face.

After that is the ballroom, which has checkered floors, tables pushed to the side, and a large stage. It looks like one of those typical romanc-y ballrooms you'd see in a Disney movie. You gaze at the stained-glass windows, the pictures' meaning unclear to you. A large, glass chandelier hangs in the center of the ceiling, its crystals reflecting the lights.

"Sometimes, mom and dad will throw a random or seasonal party here," Frisk informs you.

"It's beautiful," you say honestly. It seems like it'd be the type of party you'd have to wear a fancy evening gown for.

They show you the kitchen, where cooks are cleaning up.

"They help mom cook," Frisk explains, answering your unspoken question.

"Dang," you say, "that's a big kitchen,"

After that are many rooms for all of the workers. They show their rooms, which look similar to yours but have more decoration and have a slightly different layout than yours.

"C'mon!" Frisk says when you're finished touring the grand castle, "we'll show you back to your room,"

You follow Chara and Frisk as they work their way through the halls.

"I know how you feel," Chara says suddenly when Frisk darts ahead to do something.

"Huh?"

"When I fell, I wasn't sure how to feel. I thought I'd be an outsider forever. But, you'll be surprised at how quickly the monsters adapt to new humans," he grins.

You sigh. "I don't know, I just...I feel like I'm intruding."

"You aren't. We're glad a new human has fallen down," he replies.

You bite your lip, debating on whether or not you should ask him about the Barrier. It doesn't matter; he notices your sudden fidgety behavoir anyway.

"What's on your mind?" he asks.

"...I was thinking about the Barrier," you admit.

His face falls suddenly, like he's having some sort of flashback. Damn, you knew you shouldn't have asked that. He mutters something you didn't catch.

"I'm sorry?" you ask, feeling like a complete asshole.

"The Barrier was...reinforced," he repeats.

You frown. Reinforced? So now everyone who's down here is trapped forever?

"Not even humans can pass through it?" you ask. "Wait, but how did...who would..."

"We don't know. Maybe it was part of the spell that the original wizards used? To reinforce itself after so many years. Or maybe there's another human wizard that still knows and hates monsters out there. Stars, who knows?" he sighs as Frisk darts back around.

"We're almost there!" she says.

"Yeah. Well, goodnight, (Y/N). Come on, Frisk," he says.

"Um...hey, Chara?"

He stops, then turns. "Yeah?"

"...This might sound like a weird question, but...why do you and the other humans sound a lot like the voices I was hearing up on the surface right before I fell?"

He smirks, shoving his hands in his pockets. "We all hear those, but no one knows who they are. They sound like us, but aren't us."

"Huh," you say.

"Something to think about, isn't it?" he chuckles.

"Yeah, I heard them when I fell, too," Frisk says. "They're weird, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are," you respond.

"Well, see you tomorrow. Get some sleep, 'cause we're gonna be walking a lot tomorrow. Let's go, Frisk," Chara says, pulling on Frisk's arm. She waves briskly.

"Night, (Y/N)!" Frisk says.

"Goodnight, you two!" you reply, stepping inside your room and gently shutting the door.

You sigh, wondering what you're going to do, what's going to happen to you, what the future will look like. What if your family's worried about you? What if you're proclaimed missing?

You shake your head, reminding yourself that you can't focus on that right now. You take the sheets off of the bed, pulling them up to your chin after you climb in. Instead, you think of all the questions you have. What are Souls? What did the kids mean when they were talking about their traits? How many monsters are there? What's the deal behind the Barrier?

You fall asleep after an hour or so of thinking.

You hope that this new life won't be bad.

 **Tell me what you think!**


	2. Fallen Down

2 - Fallen Down

Hm...it's not...it's not bright. Is it even morning yet? How do the monsters keep track of time down here? You wonder if they have a different way of keeping track of time. You'd have to ask later on.

You don't want to get out of bed just yet, though. The sheets and blankets are much too warm for that nonsense right now. Tugging the covers over your head, you furrow further into your fluff-filled pillow, the thoughts of yesterday running through your head. Snippets of memories come back, gradually. The voices. Monsters. Magic. Underground. Reinforced Barrier.

The fact that you're stuck here.

You yank the covers tighter, the surface of the sheets pulled tautly over your distressed person. The air underneath the covers is growing hot and stuffy, but you feel safer like this. It's a concept you derived from your childhood that still comforts you in times of distress. It's doing wonders to help calm you down and get your thoughts together, too, which makes you feel a lot better. It's something familiar. You squeeze your eyes shut, squirming around to get comfortable after you pull your knees up to your chest.

Maybe you'll just disappear.

Hey, magic is real, apparently. So why can't it just create a ripple in time and space and swallow you whole? From experience, you know life won't be that forgiving. You're being ridiculous and you know it. Inhaling some of the stuffy air, it only makes you squeeze your eyes tighter. No, you aren't going to cry. You're going to be okay, and you try to keep telling yourself that.

Damn, well...you pretty much just lost your entire old life. You think you have a right to cry.

So, you give yourself five minutes. No more, no less. You give yourself eight-point three percent of an hour to mourn the death of your old self, your old life, the people you loved. All snatched away from you. You have to remind yourself that none of this is your fault. You're just going to have to make the best out of your situation, and hope for the best. Who knows, maybe you'll be happier down here?

The air grows stuffier as the five goes on, your silent sobs filling the air. Just five minutes. That's all you need. Five minutes. You'll let it all out, then you'll feel better afterwards. An effective solution.

You think about your lost family. Your old home, your room, school, friends, town, belongings...everything. The sun's warmth radiating onto your skin as you waltz down the sidewalk. The light shining from the night sky, a collaborative effort between the moon and stars that were scattered across the night sky. A light breeze rustling your already tousled hair, whipping it into an even messier style, helping feed the flickering flames of a raging bonfire as its flames wavered and quivered into the night sky.

Would you ever see the sun again?

Balling the sheets in your already tightly clenched fists, you let out a soft sob, shifting your face in the pillow and pulling the sheets even tauter around you. The air is becoming harder to breathe with every minute you spend sulking under the covers. You almost wish that your five minutes wasn't up, but you allow yourself to be uncovered anyway. Sucking in some of the less stuffy, cooler air, you decide to see if anyone else is up yet. You'd like to get out of this family's hair as soon as possible. Plus, you're kind of curious about the rest of the Underground. You might be able to learn a little more about monsterkind, too, which you're somewhat excited about. You're pretty sure that the goat and human family won't mind if you take another shower, so you do, sorting some of your thoughts out further as you do. You manage to calm yourself down even more with truthfulness rather than sweet lies. You know that the chance of you escaping is extremely low, what with the Barrier being reinforced and all. That doesn't mean you can't try, though, so you intend to.

You close your eyes as the stream of water spurting from the shower head dampens your face. That little voice is back, telling you that you won't be able to escape, and that you're better off just starting a new life here, with the monsters. You hush that voice for now; it won't do you any good on your epic quest. Something inside you thrums with courage, a fierce, fiery stubbornness that's...not quite like tenacity, but not unlike it, either. It creates shivers that dash down your spine as you tap into that courage, feeling it strengthen your being as a whole.

Placing your hand in the middle of your chest, where your heart would be underneath, you can feel its steady beat thumping underneath the layers of skin, bone, and muscle. Rubbing the wet skin covering your sternum, you tilt your head up, nearly welcoming the onslaught of hot water landing on your face. Another sigh escapes you; so much has happened in the past few days. You've been doing your best to clear your mind and focus on one thing at a time, but it's hard. Hopefully, you'll get more answers soon. Shoving your thoughts aside, you decide to focus on the first matter of the day: getting to the dining room. You've an inkling that that's typically where the large family gathers first thing in the morning. Yes, that sounds good, you think as you run your fingers through your soaking, tangled hair, working through the knots and not minding the small burst of pain you get in response to tugging down on the strand.

After your shower, you dry off, looking at yourself in the mirror. Little old you stares back, a towel wrapped around her thin, pale body, (e/c) eyes tired, yet ready for anything today could bring. You let one of your fingers trail down your skin; you're already so pale, and you've only been down here for two days or so. Maybe you lost a little blood on your way down? You couldn't recall the injuries you had after your fall, other than the concussion.

Either way, you looked okay. Just okay. You could definitely be better, and you intend to make it happen. You're not dead, or hurt worse, which is a start. Even if you can't go home, you can do your best down here. You're okay. Everything will be okay. Life has a way of working itself out, you know that.

You find that another plastic bag has been set on the bed. Peeking into it, you discover that there's a fresh outfit inside: a pair of dark leggings and a grey sweater with a white stripe across it. Taking the clothing out, you undress and pull the new outfit on. The sweater is a little big, but it's soft and comfy.

You find yourself wanting to keep the sweater.

Upon removing the bag from the bed, you find that the outfit wasn't all inside; there's a note, too. Taking it in your hands and unfolding it, you toss the bag back onto the bed and plop down on it.

Dear (Y/N),  
Hi! Looks like you're in the shower, but here's a fresh outfit. We're going to give you a tour of the Underground after breakfast, so come down when you're ready! (there's no rush or anything) : ) - Frisk!  
A small smile forms on your face. You have your doubts about this entire situation, but under these circumstances, the little things start making all of the difference.

Starting with a semicolon and an end parenthesis side-by-side, semicolon coming first.

…

"Cinnamon is better."

"Nuh-uh! Butterscotch is! Mom, tell him which one rules!"

"What are we talking about?"

"CINNAMON IS BETTER!"

"Hey, gimme that! I was playing with it!"

"Hey, come back here, stupid head!"

"Mom! Genesis called me a stupid head!"

"Azzy! Don't do that!"

"I didn't do anything! Buttface!"

Toriel pokes her head out from the kitchen, her eyes narrowed into a glare as she scans the crowd of human children. The majority of the bantering stops as the crowd of children realizes their mom is upon them.

"Children. Settle down. Genesis, apologize. Asriel, please stop bothering your siblings," she sighs, "we have a guest. Please behave, or else there will be no pie tonight for the ones who misbehave,"

"Yeah, Genesis!" Asher yells.

You feel a little hand tug on your shirt. You look down to see little Xander looking up at you. He's about half your height.

"Miss (Y/N), right?" he asks, his little, boyish voice soft.

"Oh, uh...yes," you reply.

"I think we're similar. I made this for you!" he says, a toothy smile directed at you. You're confused; what did this child mean by similar, exactly? Regardless, you reach down and accept his gift.

"I made it myself. It only works with people who have the same SOUL traits, and I didn't have someone with a matching SOUL until you fell down. It will protect you in time of need, okay?"

"Thank you! Uh...but what do you mean, similar?" you ask, taking the object into your hand.

"We have the same SOUL trait! You should ask Chara about it!" he replies happily, skittering down the hallway.

"...Okay," you mutter, glancing at the object in your hand. It's a thick, silver , is that real silver? Slipped around the center is a crudely-made circle of twine, and in the middle is a round sphere of...geez, is that iron? Where did this child find these things? And, how did he make it himself? When you examine it further, you find that there are three words engraved in a sleek, pointy font, smack-dab in the center of the small sphere:

Veni.

Vidi.

Veci.

You close your eyes; you know that's Latin, it's just a matter of bringing all the old information back...

I came.

I saw.

I conquered.

You frown; what's that supposed to mean? You groan as questions bounce around in your already aching head; you seriously need some answers. It is a nice armlet, though. Pulling up your sleeve, you push the band onto your arm. It fits pretty well, and it feels nice for something with poky edges. You tug your sleeve down; you'll have to thank little Xander again when you run into him again. You're sure that, with time, the little band will become another constant in your life, something else that's familiar.

"Hey, you coming?" you look up to see Chara and Frisk approaching you.

"Oh, yeah," you respond, following them to the table.

Everyone has found a seat, and soon, you find yourself seated next to Frisk, who is busy shoveling mounds of pancakes in her mouth. You chuckle at her; she kind of reminds you of yourself.

"My children will be showing you around the Underground this morning. You'll also meet our friends, acquaintances, and the citizens of the Underground!" Toriel announces, settling down on one of the end chairs.

"Sounds fun," you say, poking at a pancake with your fork.

"It will be!" Frisk says, "I know everyone's going to like you!"

Once again, casual family chatter fills the air, you falling silent while you eat your pancakes. They're deliciously fluffy and warm, sprinkled with dark chocolate chips that are nice and melty where they reside. What's that underlying sweetness you taste? It doesn't taste like it'd be  
cooked with a pancake. Actually, come to think of it, you could've sworn that same taste was in the food you had last night.

What?

You seriously need some answers.

After breakfast, the family splits up. You stay with Chara and Frisk while they're receiving instructions from their adoptive parents. You are to be shown around the Underground and introduced to everyone, take a break in a place called Snowdin and eat lunch there, go to the Ruins, then be back here just before dinner.

"Are you excited?! I am!" Frisk says as you three travel through the hallways of the Castle.

"Yeah," you respond, wondering how to word your questions. You decide to wait until there's a bit of downtime.

"So, the first place we're going to show you is the Core. You'll have to be careful in here, because there aren't any guardrails. The littler kids aren't allowed here because it's so dangerous. The monsters are sort of weird when it comes to safety. The only reason we can be here on our own is because we've managed to navigate our way through here once before. We can solve all the puzzles, too. Puzzles are big in the Underground," Frisk says.

"The Core is where the Underground gets their power. Basically, a big machine invented by the former Royal Scientist sucks in geothermal energy and converts it to magical. It's extremely efficient, although it does get overheated a lot. But, we'll come back to that when we get to Snowdin," Chara adds as you all enter a room.

The border of the floor is covered with lush, deep green vegetation, the inner part of the floor concealed with golden flowers. There are no lights in the room; instead, it's lit by the scattered beams of sunlight that drip down through the large, gaping holes in the ceiling. In the exact middle of the room are two thrones; both gold plated with dark, purple cushions. You wonder where this room is under the mountain.

"This is the throne room," Chara says beside you.

"There's not much to see...unless you want to see the Barrier?" Frisk asks.

"Frisk!" Chara says exasperatedly.

"What?!" Frisk responds.

"The Barrier?" you ask, in a bit of a daze.

"...Yeah, it's down here..." Chara says, stuffing his hands into his pockets and shuffling towards the room located in the back. You and Frisk followed the light brown-haired boy.

The doorway leads into a dimly-lit room. There's a single ray of sunshine shining down on the center of the floor. Chara turns right, and you direct your attention back to him. The hallway gets considerably darker as your trio progresses through the hallway. You bring your hands up to the wall, feeling a cool, coarse stone on the wall. Chara comes to a stop, causing you to drop your hand back to your side.

"We're about to see the Barrier," he says, his voice oddly not showing any signs of emotion. You can't see his face from here, but you think it'd be blank. "you don't have to see it if you don't want to,"

You're not exactly sure what's going on here, but, you admit, your curiosity is beginning to hurt.

"Please," you say, voice quiet. From here, you can just make out the dark, grey pillars supporting a larger, narrower piece of stone on top that has a curved upside. The pillars are engraved with strange pictures and symbols you can't quite make out from here. As for the top piece of stone, you see the same rune intricately carved into the middle that was on Toriel's dress: the one with the three triangles, circle, and the wings.

What does that mean?

The group continues in the room. You could have sworn you saw something grey and sparkly to the left of the doorway.

"What is that?" you ask, pointing to the little star.

"That's a SAVE Point," Frisk says, "it's a manifestation of our DETERMINATION. Each human has a special ability, according to their SOUL trait. Chara and I both have DETERMINATION SOULs, so we can both interact with that," she gestures to the little star, "but you and the other humans can't, and that's because you all have a different SOUL trait,"

"What does it do?" you ask.

"You can't tell anyone," Chara says.

"She can tell Sans!" Frisk replies.

"Well, yeah, but he already knows about it," Chara points out.

"True...but anyways! SAVE Points enable the DETERMINATION SOULs to reload previous SAVE Points in a specific timeline. If a DETERMINATINON SOULS has enough DETERMINATION, then it can RESET the entire timeline," Frisk says.

"No one remembers RESETs, either," Chara informs, and then, before Frisk can say it, he adds, "with the exception of Sans,"

You wonder who this Sans guy is.

"That's...wow," you say, wondering how much DETERMINATION it'd take to make that possible. So, timelines are a thing now, too? Well, you're in for a load of surprises today. "Okay...so what's the deal with SOULs?" you ask.

"We'll explain that to you after we see the Barrier," Chara says, "we're not really supposed to be here in the first place, plus it's just a long story,"

"Um...if you don't mind my asking, why aren't we supposed to be here?" you question.

"It's...well...the amount of magic here is insane," Chara starts, "the Barrier's level of magic is off the charts. That's because there were seven wizards who raised the Barrier, meaning that the energy and magic of seven human SOULs went into creating it. Why is it dangerous to us? If we...stay too long here, the magic that was forced into it by the monsters after the Barrier was created will try to suck us up in another attempt to break it. Since the monsters infused so much magic in a failed attempt to break it, the magic remained, and since its original purpose was to break it, it will still try to get as much human magic as possible. Uh...I don't know if that makes sense or not, but that's the basic gist of what's going on,"

"Huh," you say, "so magic can linger long after the wielder is gone?"

"Yeah, but you wanna know something interesting?" Frisk says, not waiting for your answer, "the wizards actually died when the spell for raising the Barrier was complete,"

"Which means they're still, technically, a part of the Barrier," Chara concludes.

"Know what's even weirder? Only the people who began the spell can make changes to it," Frisk adds.

"So how was the Barrier reinforced, then? You said the original wizards were dead,"

"That's the issue," Chara says, "we're not sure what happened. There was a massive shift in the magical energy just a few months ago. The only ways for that to have happened were either to have one of the original wizards being resurrected from the dead, which, by the way, a has an extremely low chance of happening, and then the other option would be for the wizard's SOUL to have...mutated, which isn't possible since it's already split. We're not sure if there's another scenario we aren't factoring in or if something weird's about to go down,"

"Dang," you say, not sure how to respond. This is a lot to take into account of, but what else here is going on? You'll have to learn more about SOULs before you start making predictions and all that jazz.

"Anyway, we've been chit-chatting long enough. Shall we?" Chara asks, gesturing towards the room. When you approach even closer, you hear a faint, eerie noise. To you, it sounds almost like slowed-down, distorted pitches of white noise. It sends shivers down your spine.

"Um, one more thing," Chara starts, "the Barrier is...well, it's a really personal place, especially for humans since our SOULs were meant to break it. You'll see what I mean when you go inside," he finishes.

You nod. "Thank you,"

He smiles back. "Us humans have to look out for each other since there's only nine of us down here. Speaking of which...we'll tell you all the ground rules that revolve around our humanity at the next meeting," Chara says.

Meeting?

"Sounds good," you reply.

"Okay, okay, go!" Frisk says.

You step inside the room, your hands gently grabbing the dark columns as a gentle breeze sweeps past you. The darkness slowly gets brighter and brighter with every step you take, static-y noise growing louder and louder. Are the other two humans even following you? For some reason, you don't feel like you can look back. Your entire body, with the exception of your legs, feels...paralyzed. With what, you're not sure.

Someone's staring at you, you know it. Your arms hang limply at your sides while you continue to trek forward. Something at the bottom of your stomach begins twisting it into dread-filled knots, twisting tighter and tighter until-

…

White.

What are you even standing on?

There's a long, seemingly infinite, narrow passageway of black that extends as far as you can see. Surrounding you are three walls of white. What's that strange, rainbow sheen you see? Could that be the wizard's magic, or what is left of it? A gentle whooshing seems to originate from somewhere and end nowhere, rushing past your ears and fading into nothingness. If you squint, you think you can see the vague outline of civilization in the distance, but it fades away as soon as it appeared.

Your breath catches in your throat. How is this even possible? Your skin feels like it's crawling with a strange tingly sensation.

"Are you okay?" you hear Chara ask.

"Y-yeah, it's just...really..." you can't find any words to describe what you're feeling.

"I know. Come on, we've been here long enough," you feel a hand on your arm, and it leads you out. You follow it all too eagerly. You're glad to get out of there.

"Now that you've had a taste of the Barrier," Frisk starts, turning away from the room, "we can discuss the meeting and how SOULs work!"

"FIrst order of business is the SOULs talk," Chara starts, "so. Every monster and every human has a SOUL, which is the very culmination of one's being. Monster SOULs are made up of love and compassion, whereas human SOULs are individually...unique. You know how Frisk and I are DETERMINATION SOULs? Well, that's our main trait. Each human SOUL has one of seven traits: DETERMINATION, BRAVERY, JUSTICE, KINDNESS, PERSEVERANCE, INTEGRITY, or PATIENCE. There are no exceptions when it comes to this,"

"What's my trait?" you can't help but ask.

"Look at your sweater," Frisk says.

You glance down to see that your sweater is no longer white; now, the stripe running across it is a dark, royal purple, and the primary color is a fiery, bright orange.

"BRAVERY is orange, your primary trait, and PERSEVERANCE is purple, your secondary trait," Chara states, "which means you're going to be one hell of a mage. BRAVERY and PERSEVERANCE make one hell of a combination when it comes to magic. Not only will you be able to fight well, but you'll be very good when it comes to enduring, too. When humans interact with the Barrier with that specially-made sweater, they can have their top two traits revealed. It's pretty amazing,"

You're going to become a mage?

...What?

"I'll have magic?!" you ask, your eyes going wide.

"Yeah, if we ever get through this tour," Frisk responds.

"Okay! Okay! Lead the way!" you comment.

"Anyway, back on the topic of meetings," Chara says again, leading your trio, "every week the humans of the Underground have a meeting. You remember where we first met? We were in the Ruins. That's where we meet. Tell her what we talk about, Frisk,"

"We remind ourselves of what it means to be human. Being surrounded by a brand-new species is...well, it's a lot, and it's hard. We're being smashed in the face with a brand-spanking new culture that's never really existed before in the human world. Chara thinks it important that we remind ourselves to stay human. Not that being a monster is bad or anything!" Frisk explains, jogging to catch up with Chara.

"No monster goes to the Ruins anymore. That building we were in? That used to be a home to a bunch of monsters, but..." he sighs, "anyway. We meet at the place where every single one of us fell. The place that every single human down here has in common."

"You can't tell mom or dad about it, though," Frisk says.

"Why not?" you ask, genuinely curious. You think that these meetings are, indeed, a good idea, but why hide it from Toriel and Asgore? They seem like they'd understand.

"We talk about the one thing we're not allowed to share in the Underground, and all of us are sworn to secrecy by a blood bond," Chara says, his voice quiet.

"What would that be?" you ask.

"Why each human fell, how, and all the details," Frisk answers, "all of it,"


End file.
